Resilient tile, particularly vinyl composition tile and vinyl tile, are typically produced by die cutting the individual tiles from a continuous sheet. The punch press which die cuts the tile, actually punches out the tile from the continuous sheet by tearing the tile composition under a blade. Therefore, rather than having a smooth cut edge, the tile edges are jagged.
Further, the squareness of the tile is dependent on the squareness of the punch as well as the straightness of the die cut edges. The unevenness of the edges is exacerbated if the tile is coated, particularly with a curtain coater, after being die cut.
These nonuniformities and unsquareness lead to unsightly seams when the individual tiles are laid up as a surface covering. These seams are typically about 0.010 inches wide and are readily discernible from distances of three feet or greater.
To overcome these disadvantages, some tile have been edge-finished by sanding or otherwise finishing the edges of a stack of tiles. However, such methods have not addressed the problem of accurately positioning the tiles in the stack or accurately aligning each stack. Therefore, While this method has improved the squareness and uniformity of the tiles, the seams of most prior art tile floors are still readily discernible.